Shipping basket and cover therefor



Aug. 25, 1953 Filed Sept. 6, 1949 W. R. J. WOOCK SHIPPING BASKET ANDCOVER THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Walter R,J [Hooch ATTOR N EYS Aug. 25,1953 w. R. J. WOOCK 2,649,991

SHIPPING BASKET AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Sept. 6. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gwuwvkw [Halter Rn] ZUoocb ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1953 SHIPPINGBASKET AND COVER THEREFOR.

Walter R. J. Woock, Lodi, Calif., assignor to Plastaket ManufacturingCompany, Lodi, Calif.,

a limited partnership Application September 6, 1949, Serial No. 114,176

1 Claim.

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novelshipping basket for produce, especially fresh fruit such as grapes; thebasket being designed so that the produce is shipped, displayed, andsold without removal from the basket, whereby such produce remainsfresh, clean, wholesome, and untouched from the point of packing to theconsumer.

A separate object of the invention is to provide a shipping basket whichis light weight but sufficiently stiff or rigid to adequately protectthe produce from damage during transit or subsequent handling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping basket whichaffords adequate air circulation, for cooling, through the produce pack,and also permits such pack to be readily subjected to the action of agas for preservation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a shipping basketformed in its entirety from a molded plastic; the basket havin a uniqueconfiguration, and including initially separate bottom and coversections.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel snap-engagedmeans, integral with the basket, for attaching the bottom and coversections thereto, thus eliminating the need of separate securingelements.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a shipping basketdesigned for ease and economy of manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliableshipping basket for the packing, shipping, and sale of high qualityproduce, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose forwhich it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the shipping basket with the part inadjacent but separated relation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the manner ofattaching the bottom section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a-plan view of the cover section, partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the novel shipping basket comprises-as initially separateparts molded from a light-weight but relatively stiff plastic-anupstanding body I, a flat bottom section 2, and an arched cover section3.

The body I is an upstanding structure and includes sides 4 and ends 5;said sides and ends being of lattice-like construction whereby the bodyI includes a multiplicity of openings or perforations 6.

The body I has a slight downward taper at both the sides and ends; thisto facilitate packing of a number of the baskets in a transport crate,and further assures of adequate air circulation or ventilation betweenthe baskets.

At the bottom edge thereof the body I is formed with a continuous bottomrim 1 which include an inwardly projecting flange 8. The flat bottomsection 2 is rectangular in plan, being initially separately formed butsnap-engaged in the body I as follows:

At the sides the bottom section 2 is formed with longitudinal side bars9 outwardly and downwardly notched, as at H], to form a longitudinal lipH. The bottom section 2 is somewhat flexible so that it may be boweddownwardly in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereby saidbottom section may be manually brought into place and then released sothat the corresponding flanges 8 engage in the notches 10, with the lipsI l resting on said flanges to retain said bottom section in place. Thisoperation can be easily accomplished in a snap-in manner.

Additional retension for the bottom section 2 is provided by snap nubsI2 formed on transverse end bars l3 of said bottom section 2; the snapnubs 12 being rounded on top and adapted to deflect by, and then rest ontop of, the corresponding flanges 8. See Fig. 3.

The bottom section 2 is initially formed separate from the body I, notonly to facilitate manufacture but to permit the basket to be loadedfrom the bottom, as is desirable for certain types of produce.

The cover section 3 is constructed and attached as follows:

Such cover section 3 is of generally arched configuration, including acentral top panel M of rectangular configuration, which is substantiallysmaller than, but symmetrical to, a rectangular border frame l5; thecentral top panel I4 being connected, in integral relation to the borderframe l5, by a plurality of arcuate, diagonal ribs [6. The arched effectof the cover section 3 is accomplished by disposing the top panel I I ina plane above the border frame [5, and by downwardly curving thediagonal ribs 16. By disposing the ribs 16 diagonally and curving themdownwardly, substantial strength and resistance against crushing of thecover section is obtained.

The above described arched cover section 3 is snap-engaged on the body Iof the basket as follows:

The body I is formed with a top rim I1. and.

the border frame l5 of the cover section 3 includes a depending skirt l8and an outwardly projecting top flange l9. When the cover section 3 isin place on the body I the skirt l8 lies inwardly of the top rim H, withthe top flange l9 resting on the latter.

Depending retaining tabs 20 on the border frame [5 of the cover section3 lie outside the top rim ll at spaced points around the body 1',whereby to prevent the sides 4 and ends 5 from bulging laterallyoutwardly.

At each corner thereof the cover section 3 includes a hook 2! whichdepends from the border frame [5; such hook projecting outwardly, facingupwardly, and snap-engaging beneath the adjacent part of the top rim ITin the manner shown in Fig. 6. These snap-engaged hooks 2| permit thecover section 3 to be readily and quickly snapengaged on the body I, andthereafter prevent accidental escape of said cover section duringtransit, display, and sale of the produce-loaded basket.

As the bottom section 2 is perforate in the same manner as the sides andends of the body 1, and as there is substantial spacing between the ribs19 of the cover section 3, the basket is well ventilated so that air mayfreely circulate through the produce. This is an advantage duringprecooling of the produce in the basket, as well as during transit.Additionally, the arrangement assures that when gassing operations areconducted for produce preservation, the gas effectively gains accessinto the produce in the basket.

The described basket is primarily adapted for the packing, shipping, andsale of high quality produce; the produce in the basket being maintainedfresh, protected against damage, and untouched between the time that itis packed and sold to the consumer.

The shipping basket is designed so that it may be readily andeconomically molded of plastic, which plastic may be of a suitablecolor, although if desired, the top panel l4, together with the otherparts, may be clear and transparent to permit of full vision of theproduce.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrommay be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of theinvention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the followin is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A produce shipping basket comprising a substantially rectangular bodyincluding upstanding sides having a connecting top rim, and a coverhaving a border frame which includes a depending skirt to lie inwardlyof the rim to locate the cover against horizontal displacement, saidskirt being inwardly offset at the corners thereof forming shortdiagonal portions, and a top flange to rest on said top rim and from endto end thereof; and outwardly facing hooks depending from the top flangeat the corners thereof and extending between said diagonal portions andthe corner portions of the top rim to engage under the latter.

WALTER R. J. WOOCK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 273,864 Marvil Mar. 13, 1883 357,466 Chamberlin Feb. 8, 188?543,279 Weed July 23, 1895 953,290 Rubentisch Mar. 29, 1910 1,257,823East Feb. 26, 1918 1,532,298 Bloom Apr. 7, 1925 1,746,653 Hogue Feb. 11,1930 1,895,964 Bellowons Jan. 31, 1933 1,900,828 Lubin Mar. 7, 19331,918,987 Seabold July 18, 1933 1,966,813 Dudley July 17, 1934 2,133,789P001 Oct. 18, 1938 2,224,421 Aaron Dec. 10, 1940 2,504,850 Lermer Apr.8, 1950 2,556,590 Long June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date16,495 Australia Feb. 22, 1934 281,200 Italy Jan. 5, 1931

